


Catch Me

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: M/M, Not really romantic, Pale-Red Vacillation, Psiioniic is a badass, Sadstuck, So is Rosa cause yeah, mostly about signless and the crew so, sickeningly pale, this is really sad in the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2015-11-02
Packaged: 2018-04-29 14:20:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5130785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account





	Catch Me

Psiioniic watched from the back of the crowd. His friend pacing across the strip of raised ground as he waved his hands and talked loudly. Preaching loudly to the crowd of lowbloods gathered there. Hanging on to the mutants every word. He listened raptly as well. His legs folded underneath him, and his eyes fixed on the shorter troll. He had been dealing with a bad headache, and hearing signless talk always helped with when he had headaches. Signless made eye contact with him for a moment and smiled a little through his tirade. Before he went on preaching. Arms waving about as Psii closed his eyes and just listened. 

But when he let his guard down, suddenly screams rose from the crowd. The troll that was supposed to be guarding everyone from harm in the gathering. But fucking hell. He had dropped his guard and now subjugators were storming in on everything. He rose with a shout as the crowd streamed the other way. 

In a valiant act to defend his best friend, he flung himself at the subjuggulators. Psiioniics blazing with a fury that could match any storm. 

Watching the Psiioniic fight was certainly something incredible. Signless always complained that it was cheating because he had psiioniics, but the blue and red light didn’t flicker around him as he flipped through the air and landed on backs, snapped horns. slit throats. The energy was around the huge higbloods as he incapacitated them. Making it a bit easier as they roared with fury. 

He was smart about it though, he didn’t fight longer than he had to. As soon as everyone could flee, he dropped from the shoulders of one and bolted. Joining his fleeing comrades easily. Flying across packed grass, his long legs already burning with the exertion as he and signless barked at the trolls not moving. Psii scooped up a wriggler, handed them off to an older troll that matched their color and ushered them off without breaking a stride. The group herded the screaming lowbloods away. Yelling and getting them to disperse. But they soon had to take their own path. Seeing as the high bloods were after them. They grouped together again. With Rosa in the front and Psii in the back. The tallest member of the group threw psiioniic bolts at the high bloods whenever he could risk it. Following close on his mutant friends heels. His pusher was stuttering in his chest and his vision was blurred with sparks of red and blue. 

He could feel signless’ cloak hitting his shins as the screams slowly died away and all he could hear was his own breathing, the roar of his blood in his ears, and the bellowing of the higbloods smashing through the forest after them. 

Eventually he did stumble. Twisting his ankle and gritting his teeth as he let out a low hiss of pain. Throwing his arms out to steady himself. But Signless ducked under one of his arms, looping an arm around the tall trolls waist and catching about half his weight across strong shoulders. They hardly broke a stride. Psii was able to put less weight on the twisted ankle as they followed Rosa and Meulin through the trees. 

“Kankri come on just go, I’ll be fine.” Psii spat under his breath, the mutant shook his head fiercely. 

“Just shut your trap and lean on me would you?” He grumbled as they swerved to avoid a tree. 

“If I can just go fight them we won’t have to be running at all.”

“Enough with your self-sacrificial bullshit Mituna, I’m not letting you die over us.” Kankri snapped back, adjusting his hold on his lanky friend. Who snorted a bit, shaking his head, before he finally shut his mouth. Following everyone else through the trees. And continuing to send bolts back at the high bloods. Smirking when one would roar in pain and there would be the sizzle of psiioniics on flesh. 

Eventually, however, their ground ran out. And they were backed against a cliff, shoulder-to-shoulder against the black of the night sky, listening to the roar of the ocean beneath them as they watched the subjugators break through the trees. They were limping and furious from the bolts that had hit. The right side of ones face was steaming and black, twisted into a grotesque mask, An indigo eye shining in fury against the blackened mess. Others were limping or clutching patches of black. And Psii had to smirk smugly. 

Kankri finally let him go, drawing scythes as Rosa dropped her cloak and rolled up her sleeves. There were five huge subjugators, four of them. The fight was so unfair. The subjugators were going to get their asses handed to them. Kankri whipped out a pair of scythes, Rosa squared off, and both Mituna and Meulin got lower to the ground, Ready to spring. 

One of the blue bloods laughed before grinning a bit and drawing a double handed sword. All of the subjugators followed his lead. Laughing at the four trolls. Only one properly armed. But they weren’t laughing in a minute. When Mituna sprung for the two on the end. Rosa punched the half-scorched indigo in the burned side of his face. Her lips pursed and her eyebrows knit into a scowl. Meulin raked her claws down the chest of another, and Kankri launched at one of them, feet flying over the grass and scythes glinting. 

Psii got two of them because he was the one who could handle two. Even if it meant he would be nursing an obscene headache later. But he managed. 

The battle was bloody, and ended in a few minutes. But Psii, already tired from running and having to fight earlier, had dropped. And was on the ground. Coughing up his own blood, as more yellow blurred in his eyes and the blue blood raised his broadsword. He winced and waited for it to fall. His hands braced against the ground and his psiioniics flickering uselessly around his eyes. 

And it did fall. To the ground. With a dull thud. As the large troll howled in pain and a shadow fell over Psii’s upper half. He looked up, squinting through his glasses to see Kankri crouched over him, snarling at the larger troll. His weapons already dripping with indigo. His fangs bared and red blood dripping down the side of his face. Rosa took the opportunity to creep around to the front of the blue blood, and lock her long nails into its throat. causing it to choke before falling with a crash Yowling and clutching at its throat desperately. Effectively tearing its own flesh and managing to tear its own neck apart. 

Signless ducked down and scooped up his lanky friend, as the girls grabbed the packs again. Rosa shouldered Signless’ pack as well and Meulin took Psiis. Said yellow blood had passed out in his friends arms. Head lolling back and one arm hanging uselessly from a dislocated shoulder. He was still breathing, but it was obvious that he had really outdone himself this time around. 

They had to trudge several miles through thick forest before Meulin dubbed things safe, dropped her and Psii’s things, and ran off to hunt for everyone. Signless passed Psii into Rosas arms before he went to set up tents and let his mother tend to the hurt yellow blood. The tall woman started a fire first. Heating water, before she set to work cleaning up the yellow blood. When she was done she moved him to his tent easily. She was surprisingly strong. With broad shoulders and kind face. She laid Psii on his cot, before leaving him to Signless and going out to start cooking as Meulin returned. They would still have to eat. Even if it was already three in the morning. They only had a couple hours before they would have to be tucked away in their tents. 

~~~

“It’s been a long night, but a good one.” Signless plopped down on one of the logs Psii had dragged over to the fire. Earning a faint smile from the yellow blood.

“Yeah, I’m starting to want to stay. We should move along soon.” His arm was still in a sling, and he was still limping. But Psii was almost more of a nomad than the rest of them. Having been trapped in a slave compound since he had lost his grublegs, he couldn’t stand being in one place for too long. He could hardly stand a week. Let alone how long they had been there. 

“As soon as you’re out of that sling.” Rosa said sternly. Glaring at him over the fire. He shrugged a bit and winced. Before rubbing his temple and sighing. 

“My headache is getting worse. I’m gonna go lay down.” He winced, before he got up and ducked into his tent. Lying down on his cot and pulling the covers over himself. He closed his eyes a bit and took a slow breath in through his mouth, out through his nose. Just like his best friend had taught him. It was early anyways, and the other would be turning in shortly. 

“Mituna?” The voice dragged him from the haze of attempted rest and he groaned a bit, turning his head to look at the tent flap. The slightest movement made pain spark behind his eyes and he closed them quickly.

“Yeah, what do you want Kan.” He rumbled. Laying back down to hopefully avoid any more stabbing pain. 

“May I come in?” The response was only a muffled ‘sure why not’ from Mituna as he shoved his face against his pillow. Battling back the pounding agony wailing inside his head. Signless ducked in quickly, out of the sunlight, to come sit on the end of psi’s cot. Before moving to the other end and moving the yellow bloods head into his lap. Despite Psi’s momentary protests, before he fell silent again and didn’t fight it.

“You talked about having a headache awhile ago. I figured I owed it to you to at least offer you a helping hand.” Mituna relaxed a bit as he felt Kankris fingers start to card through his hair and brush over his horns. It was pale gestures like this that made the yellow blood absolutely fucking melt every time. The amount of compassion drenching everything around Signless, and the overwhelming pale gestures. Were almost too much for a somewhat neglected troll. He still had some things he was working on getting over. 

His headache calmed as Kankri hummed softly to him. Running his hands over his horns. And eventually, the attention drew a gravely purr from Mituna. Who had melted and relaxed entirely. Sighing and tilting his head to the side so he was facing the other tent wall. Enjoying the feeling of Kankris fingers working through his heavy black hair, and sliding over the smooth surface of each horn. 

He didn’t even know if they were a pale thing. They acted like it, but he wasn’t sure. Nor was he sure he cared. It didn’t matter what they labeled it. They had eacother in their weird almost-platonic pale thing. But they had never agreed on anything, and Psii didn’t bother asking about it. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship. And he didn’t need to. It didn’t bother him, not labeling it. 

“Better?” Kankri asked with a faint chuckle as Psi shoved his nose against the shorter trolls knee. Purring loudly now. An infrequent sound for either of them to hear. They really didn’t get much time to relax anymore. The sermons got longer, the time spent running did too. The time between moves got shorter. They were racing headlong toward their own doom. But it no longer mattered. They were doing what was right. 

“Yeah.” Psii purred happily. His headache had all but vanished. But Signless didn’t stop what he was doing. Just leaned down and kissed Psi’s temple with a hum. Running his fingers through Psi’s hair and wrapping an arm around his torso.

“Would you object to bunking with me today? Dis and Rosa are already shacked up together, they both say it’s gonna be cold.” Signless prodded him gently and Psii opened his eyes before nodding a bit and chuckling through his purr.

“Sure. I don’t mind.” 

~~~

It was a while later, a few weeks maybe, that their routine changed again. Psi had been sleeping, quite well for once. Sprawled out on his cot, one arm hanging of the edge, snoring faintly. He was woken by someone shaking him gently. Scrambling to his feet and growling dangerously, the rumble echoing low in his chest.. It was instinct, everyone he was close to him knew not to wake him up. 

“Relax, dear friend I mean no harm to you. Sit, please.” Signless’ soft voice cut the growl short. And Psi relaxed before plopping down on his cot and looking up on his friend. Who patted his shoulder before sitting down next to him. Mituna immediately noticed the way his shoulders slumped in exhaustion and he ducked his head a bit. Running a hand over his face. 

“Would you object to doing me a favor?” Signless asked quietly. His eyes locking with The yellow bloods. With just one look, there was no way, by the mother grub, that Psiioniic could have refused. Not that he would have anyways. He nodded a bit and ran his hand over his arm. 

“Anything Kan, you know me.” He said quietly. Worry creasing his eyebrows as he watched Kankri. The smaller troll relaxed the tiniest bit before he passed Psiioniic Meulins journal. Along with a quill pen. Gesturing for Mituna to open it. 

“I’d like you to scribe something for me. I’ve had another, well, dream.” He said quietly, Tugging his hood down and watching Psii carefully. The yellow blood tilted his head a bit, confused. 

“Meulin is here though.” He said with a frown. Signless had never trusted anyone but his olive friend to scribe down his dreams. So Mituna was honored by the request. Hell, he didn’t even know what to say.

“I know, but I think you should hear this first. If you would.” Signless ran a hand over his face again and shrugged. Psii nodded before promptly moving to the floor so he could fold his legs, open the notebook, and wait for Signless to start talking.

“Our whole gathering was flocked on a large, black, plane. Including about eight others I didn’t recognize. I seem to remember one from each caste. There was even a tyrian.” Psii wrote diligently. His eyes on the paper as his jagged scrawl filled the opposite page of Meulins flowing script. 

“We all seemed to be running away from something… Monstrous, of many faces and, of many different creatures. A thick fear covered and seeped into everything in the atmosphere. But you… You were running straight for it. Psiioniics blazing like I’ve never seen before. I was trying to go to you, to stop you from what I felt was your eminent destruction.” Psii frowned a bit, but kept writing. What on alternia was he talking about? 

“I can remember yelling for you, but you only looked over your shoulder, saluted me, and smiled sadly before jumping straight into the fray of the huge mass of tentacles squirming at the center of the creature. I can still feel the ache in my throat from how hard I was screaming. I was the only one not bolting. But suddenly I was swept up in a very brawny pair of arms, and picked up against my will. I remember getting a look at a violet sea dweller, Who glared at me, even as tears stained his own eyes. He, as well,, seemed upset by your death, but he simply picked me up, before joining the others.” Psii looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. But Signless was staring off into space now. In a different place. Psii knew that look. He had seen it every time Signless talked about what alterina could be. 

“Anything else?” Psii asked, clearing his throat a bit to break the heavy silence that followed. A bit concerned by the crimson tears welling in Kankris eyes. The red blood cleared his throat before nodding and folding his hands in his lap.

“Yes, actually, a very similar dream preceded. But I got a glimpse of what came after. I saw you pinned to a wall by the same violet blood that probably saved my life when you lost yours. You had backed down, something so unlike you. And he was shouting at you. But he was shaking, and the tears on his face were obvious. Before he was promptly removed by an indigo, and stormed off. I can remember the crushing sadness that followed as you were hugged against the indigo, and I saw you break down. You were broken, there was something wrong with you. You weren’t the Mituna any of us know…” When his voice broke, It made Mituna want to hug him. But he finished writing. Before he moved forward but didn’t move from the floor. Resting his chin on his friends knees and looking up at him thoughtfully.

“It was just a dream signless. I’m still here. I’m still whole.” He assured him quietly. Taking Signless’ hands and frowning at him before kissing his friend knuckles and watching him worriedly. He moved to sit next to Kankri before pulling the shorter troll into his arms. Rubbing his back and instinctively hushing him. Kissing the top of his head and holding him close as the other trolls hands locked against the yellow bloods chest. He could feel the smaller troll quivering before stifling quiet sobs as best as he could.

Psii watched him in worry before he just went back to soothing him and running his fingers through his friends hair. Kissing his forehead and holding him until he settled down to just a few sniffles and hiccups. Psii waited until even that had stopped before releasing his friend, brushing Kankris hair back with long fingers.

“It’s going to be just fine Kankri. I promise.” He was lying to even himself. The Subguggulators were getting closer every day. The threat from the empress was still very real, and… well. They all knew that it wouldn’t last too much longer. But they all ignored it.

“Thank you….” The mutant troll smiled a bit, before taking a shuddering breath and looking away. 

“I think I’ll return to my own tent now, you should get some sleep as well.” Signless got to his feet, before leaning down, kissing the top of Psiioniics head, and wandering off. Psii watched him leave, before sighing and lying back down.

~~~

It was awhile before they hit the end of the line, but they did. Kankri and Mituna had time to flush entirely red for each other, and even started sleeping in the same tent. Signless would often let Psii carry him back to camp after a sermon. And sometimes they would be found curled up by the fire together. But their happiness didn’t last long. 

“Psii, Psii wake up!” Signless was hissing at him and shaking him awake. Mitten rolled over and blinked sleepily at him. 

“What’s going on?” He asked as Signless stared moving around the tent, packing up all the essentials. 

“There are violet trackers on our tails. Dis was on watch, and she was doing her circuit when she found them. We have about five minutes. Come ON.” Mitten was out of bed before Kankri could even finish. He easily rolled up the sleeping pad, tying it neatly, before he and Signless got the tent down, the girls were already packed. And they all moved out. Not bothering to hide the campsite. They moved quietly to get out of the way. 

But…. The violets had surrounded them. And they were soon enclosed in a small circle of them. Watching the leader as he smirked a bit and eyed them. A long cloak swirling around his feet as two other Violets grabbed Psii, who was ready to fight, but they forced a pair of imperial goggles over his face. Blocking his psiioniics and tying his hands and legs as he fought valiantly. Signless yelled and tried to run to his friends aid, but like the rest of the crew. He was grabbed and tied.

“Well well. Look’s like ye’re comin’ back to the palace with us. The Condesce will be ever so pleased.” The Orphaner leading the group rumbled. Smirking lopsidedly. His tone was dark, and so were his eyes. The four lowbloods were hefted onto shoulders before the group of violets followed the orpahaner. And Psii was knocked out by the guards. 

When he came to, it was horrible. He was chained to a post next to Rosa and Dis, watching A blue blood slowly stringing a huge bow. The trolls surrounding a huge stone screamed and shouted and cheered. Chanting for the death of the mutant as Psii watched in silent horror, and Rosa screamed for her son. Dis let out a pained wail and clutched her best friends cloak against her chest, olive tears streaming down her face. But Signless kept his chin up as an indigo thrust a hot poker through his side, making the mutant squirm and let out a yell of pain. Psii had to turn away, he felt like he was going to be sick. His vision was hazy from the goggles still strapped to his face, and using his psiioniics only brought on a wave of agony. 

He let out his own desperate scream when the blue blood nocked his arrow, puling the string back and aiming carefully. Rosas wail choked off in an agonized sob when that arrow plunged directly into signless’ gut. Dis turned and buried her face against the shaking yellow bloods shoulder. Rosa did the same on the other side of him as yellow tears streamed from under the goggles. 

He sat back on his heels, choking back another cry as he watched his matespirits head loll forward and his body go limp. No No No No No No. He ducked his head, his hands twisting against the shackles that held him. Before he was straining forward at the guards surrounding them with a furious snarl. He looked almost feral. His body straining against the chains as he hissed fiercely and went at one of the guards. His boots scraping against the hard courtyard. Pain lanced through his leg and he was pinned to the ground by a culling fork driven through his leg. The tines went through his flesh and drove into the stone as a high heel pressed to the back of his head, forcing him down. He let out a choked sob, his body shaking. He had just watched the love of his life die. And he could still hear Dis sobbing and Rosa choking on her own breath in despair. 

He was held down until he heard another arrow snap from the string and Dis’ yell of shock, before he heard her running off. Letting out a slow breath of relief, she would be alright. But then He heard Rosa yelling angrily through her tears. And watched a pair of black and violet boots stomp past his face, drips of jade staining the leather and the hem of Rosas long dress hitting the orphaners legs. 

He finally gave up. His body going limp as he accepted his face and tears streamed from his eyes. He had accepted his fate as a helmsman, and hardly even listened to the Condesce cooing at him.

It was a little while later that he was dragged to his feet and carted off to an imperial facility. He was modified for the ship, and then hooked up to the harness. He had given up on fighting. He no longer had anything to fight for anyways.


End file.
